The invention relates to a device for partitioning portion packages of a dividable stuffing material in a flexible tubular casing by constricting the filled casing and applying at least one closing clip on the casing tress. The casing tress is formed through axial displacement of the stuffing material, with two sets of overlapping displacement elements, which are symmetrical with respect to the axis of the casing, are displaceable in mutually opposite directions, and have substantially triangular notches facing each other. A clipping apparatus consisting of two elements interacting with each other and displaceable in mutually opposite directions is positioned between the displacement element sets. One displacement element of each set as well as the one element of the clipping apparatus are moved by a first crank and the other displacement elements of each set as well as the other element of the clipping apparatus are moved by a second crank. The radii of the cranks are equal and their axes of rotation have the same distance to the casing axis with which they are arranged parallel in a joint plane. The cranks can be rotated about their axes of rotation synchronously from casing axis removed opening positions into casing axis adjacent closing position of the displacement elements and the elements of the clipping apparatus and furthermore can be rotated again into the casing axis removed opening positions (operating cycle).
Such a device is known from DE 24 29 309 A1. It serves primarily the production of sausages with a stuffing material consisting of sausage filling, however any other paste-like stuffing material or organic and inorganic kind is possible as well. In general, it is arranged after a filling device, wherein the stuffing material is pressed through a filling tube into the packing casing that is pulled off its outer side. In an intermittently operating filling device, the partitioning and closing apparatus engages at the completion of a filling operation. In the case of continuous filling, it engages with the filled packaging casing string. In both cases, the displacement elements form the casing tress, which marks the end of one portion and the beginning of the next; two closing clips placed onto the same casing tress at a certain distance ensure that the closure is permanent. The casing tress can be separated between the two closing clips. The sausages are processed individually.
The above-addressed partitioning and clipping apparatus is driven by cranks that reach into cam slots with cam rollers, wherein the slots run crosswise to the advancing device in the displacement elements affecting the partitioning. The elements of the clipping apparatus are actuated in the same manner.
From DE 36 10 010 C2 we also know of a portioning device, where the longitudinal movement in mutually opposite directions of the displacement elements crosswise to the casing axis is guided by guide rods and is controlled by a cam disk revolving about the casing axis.
The portioning performance of such devices for partitioning and closing individual packages from a casing strand filled with the appropriate stuffing material is limited. This is mainly due to the complex control of the interacting, subsequently activated device elements as well as the inertia of the masses to be accelerated and slowed down during this process. Additionally, problems with the guiding accuracy of the cam drives as well as their wear arise.